Mitchell Starc Could Get the Highest Bid Again; These 5 Teams Will Be Watching Him
All the IPL teams have now announced the players they are keeping. Surprisingly, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have decided not to keep Australia’s star fast bowler, Mitchell Starc. In the IPL 2024 auction, KKR bought Starc for Rs 24.75 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Starc performed exceptionally well last season, taking 17 wickets and helping KKR win the IPL 2024 trophy.
Despite his impressive performance, KKR chose not to retain him for IPL 2025. This means other teams now have a chance to add Starc to their squads. Here, we will look at five franchises that may be interested in bidding for him in the upcoming season.
5. Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings is one of the few teams that has never won the IPL trophy. Their performance hasn’t been very strong, which is why they haven’t won the tournament yet.
Before the new season, Punjab Kings has kept only two players—Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. They want to add Mitchell Starc to their team. The team needs an experienced fast bowler who can put pressure on the opposing batsmen and take their wickets. Starc can do this job very well.
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Like Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has also never won the IPL trophy. Every season, RCB has had a strong batting lineup, but their bowling has often been criticized.
RCB will want to improve their bowling lineup for the next season. So far, they have only kept three players: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. They still have Rs 83 crore left to spend, and RCB will likely be interested in Mitchell Starc.
3. Gujarat Titans
Shubman Gill was made captain of the Gujarat Titans team in IPL 2024. However, his captaincy did not go well, and the team couldn’t reach the playoffs.
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Before the next auction, Gujarat Titans have kept only five players and have Rs 69 crore to spend. Last season, their bowlers didn’t perform well. For the 2025 season, the Gujarat team will be looking for experienced fast bowlers, and one option could be Mitchell Starc.
2. Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals didn’t do well in IPL 2024 and couldn’t reach the playoffs. Before the auction, they kept four players, but none are fast bowlers. They also let go of captain Rishabh Pant. To improve in 2025, Delhi Capitals might try to get Mitchell Starc.
Last season, they had some good fast bowlers, but none of them bowled with enough impact. The team still has Rs 73 crore left, so they might bid on Starc in the upcoming auction.
1.Lucknow Super Giants
Lucknow Super Giants will also be very interested in Mitchell Starc. The team has kept five players before the next auction, including two fast bowlers: Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav. Both have done well in the tournament so far and are fast bowlers.
If Starc joins the Lucknow team, it will be a big help for these two bowlers. His arrival would also make Lucknow Super Giants’ bowling lineup much stronger.
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